Managed for a few months by the Nice Côte d’Azur Tourist Office, the Cuisine Nissarde Label, cherished by the late Renée Graglia, the emblematic President of Capelina d’Or, has undergone a makeover with a new logo, new regulations, and a new technical committee.
For the first time, the new technical committee gathered around Denis Zanon, Director of the Nice Tourist Office, to become acquainted with the new logo and regulations of this label, which protects the only cuisine in the world to bear the name of its city. At the table were professionals from the catering industry, teachers and former teachers from the Nice hotel school, and defenders of Nice’s cuisine and heritage, who will adopt the new graphic identity and regulatory statutes of the label.
What is the Cuisine Nissarde Label?
This label, created about fifteen years ago by UDOTSI, is awarded to restaurants offering Niçoise specialties. But here, no green beans in the Niçoise salad and even less gnocchi with semolina; everything must be authentic, and the recipes issued by the technical committee must be strictly followed by the chefs to hope to acquire and maintain the label.
Today, fifteen establishments proudly display the label on their front door (see list below) from Nice to Castagniers, passing through Colomars or Levens. However, the ambition of the Nice Tourist Office is to expand this list with other restaurants, whether in the region or further afield, that have not yet made the move.
For this, the Technical Committee will conduct a new inspection of the labeled establishments in the summer to ensure they still comply with the internal regulations, while the OTC Nice teams will inform the other establishments about the possibility of applying for it. In the fall, a presentation will be organized in the presence of the press, the technical committee, labeled chefs, and those who will soon be labeled.
How to obtain the Cuisine Nissarde Label?
A restaurateur wishing to bear the Cuisine Nissarde Label must first send a request to the Nice Tourist Office via email at isabell.bonnet-piron@otcnice.com. In return, the OTC will send them a reference document that includes the regulations, evaluation criteria, and reference recipes. Once the evaluation grid is completed and if the criteria are met, the restaurateur can then submit their application, which will be reviewed by the Technical Committee to set an evaluation date with the restaurateur.
The selection criteria will focus on the adherence to the recipes, the quality of products and raw materials used, the quality of customer service and information, and compliance with health and safety regulations. Finally, the restaurateur will be subject to a surprise inspection by a member of the technical committee.
Once the inspection is validated, the restaurateur can be labeled and will receive the communication kit and materials to display the label at their establishment. They will also join the guide of labeled restaurants and benefit from all communication operations organized by OTC Nice and its technical committee.
It is well understood that authenticity and respect for tradition will be the pillars of the Cuisine Nissarde Label, and the list of proposed recipes is exhaustive, including the traditional Niçoise salad, but also pan bagnat, pissaladière, Niçoise ravioli, gnocchi, daube, stockfish, stuffed vegetables, zucchini tian, Swiss chard pie, ganses, and socca.
Bon appétit!
